Avantgarde

Avant-garde on vinyl: music beyond the rules

In short: Avant-garde is an umbrella term for music that deliberately breaks with habits – in rock, electronics, jazz and classical music. What connects these records is not one sound but a love of the unknown. The Vinyl Room currently has 42 avant-garde records.

What is avant-garde?

Curiosity as a principle: in the sixties The Velvet Underground with Nico brought noise and art into rock – here on a compilation. George Russell opened jazz up to new forms with “Listen To The Silence”.

Later came Animal Collective with “Strawberry Jam”, Julia Holter with “Tragedy” and Lonnie Holley from Alabama with “Oh Me Oh My”. From Berlin come the musicians behind “M_Sessions”, from New York Faten Kanaan with her synthesizer pieces.

What to look for

Avant-garde records often came out on small labels and in changing editions; label, catalogue number and country of release help you tell which edition you have – it’s noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

New in

→ Experimental · Free improvisation · Avant-garde jazz · Rock on vinyl · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

FAQ

What is avant-garde? An umbrella term for music that deliberately breaks with conventions – across many genres.

Is avant-garde a style of its own? More of an attitude; here it covers rock, electronics, jazz and classical music.

What is the difference from experimental? The terms overlap strongly; both describe music away from the familiar.

Is there new avant-garde too? Yes – here, for example, Julia Holter, Faten Kanaan and Lonnie Holley.